


Look where you least expect to find it - Tripp/Stetler

by TiffanyF



Series: Look where you least expect to find love [8]
Category: CSI: Miami, CSI: NY
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-04
Updated: 2013-06-16
Packaged: 2017-11-28 06:06:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/671142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TiffanyF/pseuds/TiffanyF
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of the Least Expect universe. This story will explore the still developing relationship between Frank Tripp and Rick Stetler, starting at their first meeting together. Rated for later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It was probably the hardest choice he ever had to make. Sergeant Rick Stetler paused in the door to the bar and wondered – again – if he was totally insane to even be considering what he was about to do. He could see his target at the bar, hunched over what looked like a whiskey. Stetler took a deep breath to steady his nerves and walked to the bar. "Detective Tripp."

"Aw hell, what do you want, Stetler?" Frank asked.

"To talk," Stetler replied. "Off the record."

"I got nothing to say to IAB."

"While I don't necessarily approve of how Delko and Caine handled the investigation, I know that they cleared you and that's not why I'm here," Stetler said. "I came to talk as a friend, not an IAB officer. But if you can't look past your bias about my department, then I guess I was right and this is a waste of time."

Tripp snorted. "Sit down," he said. "I learned a long time ago not to trust IAB as far as I could spit. But the day can't get any worse, so what's on your mind?"

"You've got a look of someone who wants to crawl into a bottle and not come out for a while," Rick said, holding up a hand. "Let me finish, please. I know exactly how you're feeling right now and what you really need is someone to talk to who knows that."

"How do you know what I'm thinking or feeling?" Frank asked.

"Because my wife left me a year after we were married," Rick said. He sat down at the bar with a small sigh. "She never supported my decision to go to the academy but this is all I wanted to do. I guess I never saw how she was drawing away from me, how she was vanishing without an explanation, something that I could ignore because I was spending so much time at work. But when she accused me of cheating on her, I didn't know where it came from. It was a blow completely out of left field and she vanished before I could really process what had happened."

Frank looked over at the other man. "So what had happened?"

"She met a construction worker and she was the one cheating," Rick replied. "I eventually figured out she accused me of it because it eased her guilt a little. If she could even feel guilt about what she was doing. Once the papers were filed and I could look back at it a little, I realized that we didn't really know each other. So I just buried myself in my work and never looked back."

"My wife and me have been together for fifteen years," Frank sighed. "I was a cop when we met, just starting, so maybe she didn't realize what it would eventually mean as I moved up through the department. But I felt like I'd been slapped when Delko came to talk with me today."

"Come on, let me take you to dinner," Rick said. "I don't want you to sit here and drink all night. It's not the answer."

"Aw hell, why not," Frank said with another sigh. "Anything's gotta be better than feeling sorry for myself."


	2. Chapter 2

The last thing Stetler wanted to do was take Frank Tripp somewhere where there was any chance anyone from the department would be able to see him talking with IAB. Stetler wasn't blind to the feelings towards him and his department. Yeah, he was a jerk when he was at work, always pushing at Horatio Caine, but Caine usually had done something to deserve it. Truthfully, and he would only admit it if he were being tortured, Stetler was impressed with the work that Caine managed to do. There were days when Stetler was sorry he'd transferred into IAB, but he felt like it was the place he should be, to help keep the department running and above suspicion. It really wasn't easy, but he was proud of the work he was able to do.

"Think you could get us any farther out of town?" Tripp asked, looking around.

"There's a fish place just up here," Stetler replied. "I thought it'd be best if we went somewhere we wouldn't be seen together. I'm not blind, Tripp. I know what would happen to you if we we're seen together."

"Anyone wants to call me a rat can do it to my face and deal with the consequences," Frank said. "But I appreciate the thought. I'm still not sure why you're doing this."

"You're a good officer, you don't deserve what your wife did to you, and I want to make sure you don't do something stupid," Stetler said. "Not just because it could impact the department, but because it'd go on your record and you don't need something like that following you around the rest of your career."

"So you're trying to keep me safe," Frank said. "I'm guessing you saw Horatio talking to me."

"Yep, I was hoping that maybe he'd be able to get you out of the bar, but when he left, I figured he'd failed and you were determined to forget as much as you could." Stetler pulled into the parking lot and parked. "Having been right where you are, under different circumstances, yes, but still in the same place, I thought you might listen to me. If you still want to drink after this, at least you'll have food in your system to help absorb the alcohol."

Frank stepped out of the car and stretched. "Nah, the urge to drink has passed," he said. "Least for today. Who knows what I'm gonna feel like tomorrow when I realized I had a civilized conversation with IAB."

"As long as the urge to kill yourself passes in an hour upon awakening, you'll be fine," Stetler said dryly. "Come on, I think they have tables outside."

"Did you just make a joke?" Frank asked, following the other man towards the run down building. He didn't know what sort of food they served there, but he'd had worst to eat in his career. He didn't think that anything short of a direct shot of germs would kill him anymore.

"Don't tell anyone," Stetler replied. "Dinner's on me, Tripp."

"You keep showing me you're a good guy, you're going to ruin your evil aura, Stetler," Frank said. "I'll have whatever the hell you're having."

Stetler bit back the laugh that was trying to escape and went to order. He'd found the place when he was driving around one day, learning the wilder areas around the city, and tried to get back at least once a month. It looked like hell, but it was clean and the fish was fresh. That was all he really cared about. "Do you have any allergies, Tripp?" he called.

"Nope." Frank had made his way towards the outside tables and was looking up at the sky.

He ordered two of that day's special and went to join Tripp. "Here, you said the urge to drink has passed, so I got you a Coke."

"Cheers," Frank said. "Haven't seen the stars this bright in years. I don't get out of the city much these days. Real pretty out here."

"Yeah, it is," Stetler agreed. "So, I'm guessing talking about work is likely to get my punched, even if you know I'd file paperwork on that, so what would you like to talk about?"

"All I got's sports and fishing," Frank admitted. "Work takes up a lot of my time."

"I can manage football, soccer and baseball, but will be lost if you try beyond any of those," Stetler said.

"We can start with football," Frank said. He couldn't believe it, but he was actually having fun. He'd have to talk to Horatio the next day and make sure he hadn't hit his head at any point.


	3. Chapter 3

It wasn't hard to find Horatio. The man, while he was almost never in his office, was around the lab making sure everything was working right. And he always took his lunch in the same place.

"Frank?"

"Wish I knew how the hell you did that," Frank said, sitting down next to Horatio on the bench. "Got a question for you, Horatio."

"What can I help you with today, Frank?"

"Did I hit my head yesterday, get drugged, kidnapped by aliens or knocked unconscious?"

Horatio turned and looked at Frank closely. "No you didn't," he said. "So now, the question is, why would you even be worried about something like that?"

"Because I had more fun last night than I can remember having in a long time and I don't know what to make of it," Frank said. "Aw hell, Horatio, I know you wouldn't tell anyone and you wouldn't give a damn, but I can't bring myself to admit it out loud."

"You don't have to, Frank," Horatio said. "You met up with someone after I left last night?"

"Yeah, last person in the world I expected to see and we went out to dinner," Frank said. "I've been off the market a long time, but I'm almost sure they were flirting with me most of the night. Not too sure how I feel about that."

"Frank, you're an adult, I'm not going to question you on this, but I want to make sure you're not pushing emotions from the fight with your wife onto your new friend," Horatio said. "I don't want to see you hurt."

Frank nodded. "Yeah, I know, and I don't know. How would I be able to tell?"

"Well, I think the main thing would be wanting to move faster into the relationship than you normally would, but each person is different, Frank. We all handle rejection differently," Horatio said.

"You don't have to worry about that then," Frank snorted. "I've got no desire to just hop into bed with them. I'm not even sure they were flirting with me, just seemed like it."

"Asking them would help, but if it's a new friendship then that might be more damaging," Horatio said. "Frank, you know that I won't care if it's a man, don't you?"

"Be stupid of you if you did," Frank said. "I just don't want you working out who it is, and you're way too good at worming out meaning from the simplest words, Horatio. I'm doing my best to not give you anything to work with."

Horatio smiled. "Frank, if you want to keep your new friend a secret, then I won't pry," he said. "I promise. Just remember, please, that I'm here if you need to talk, okay?"

"I know you are," Frank said. "You're the first one I thought of last night when I realized I needed to talk with someone. Okay, yeah, it is a guy and I don't know what the hell I'm doing, Horatio."

"Friendship is the best opening, Frank," Horatio said. "We're taught that men and women belong together, and then, when we grow up, we realize the world isn't like that. I'm the first man that Mac ever looked at in a romantic nature, and he asked a lot of the same questions I can tell you want to ask. It's not wrong, Frank. You're still you. It's just that you're discovering a new piece of yourself, and that new piece needs to be nurtured to grow. Don't hide it away unless you believe it will put you in danger."

"So you're saying that a guy my age could still find out that he likes guys, even if he's never thought that before."

"You can, yes," Horatio said. "My guess though is that your new friend has something special that's calling to you, something other men don't have, so that's why it's so confusing."

"I never thought of it like that," Frank said. "I couldn't work out what was going on with me last night. It's part of the reason I was so worried that I hit my head or did something bad last night."

Horatio smiled softly. "It sounds to me, Frank, like you did something right last night," he said. "So now, the question is, what do you want to do from this point on?"

"Guess I need to talk with my friend and see what he says," Frank sighed. "Make sure we're on the same page and all that."

"That's a good idea," Horatio said. "You know where to find me if you need me, Frank. Don't ever be scared to talk with me. You know I won't judge you for anything. Ever."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Horatio."

"Any time, Frank," Horatio said. "Any time."


	4. Chapter 4

Stetler was in his office working on a report involving a couple of patrol officers when his phone rang. "Stetler."

"Hey, it's Tripp. Listen, I was wondering if it'd be possible to talk some point later today or tomorrow."

"I've got reports that need to be finished, but I should probably take a break for dinner," Stetler said. "Technically I need to talk to you about your involvement in the case Caine closed yesterday, even if you only want to use that as an excuse to come to my office so we can talk about whatever's on your mind."

Frank sighed. "I think Horatio'd come along with me if he found out about that," he said. "Don't know how safe it is to talk in your office anyway, not about this."

"I see, well, we could go out and eat, but I don't know how safe that would be for either of us."

"Yeah, trying to keep secrets around this place is like waving a red flag to pay attention," Frank snorted. "What the hell, I'll come see you. Does around six work, provided I don't get a call-out?"

"That works fine," Stetler said. 

"I'll bring sandwiches or something with me," Frank said. "My turn and all that. You got anything you don't like?"

"No, anything is fine. Is there such a thing as a cop who's a picky eater?"

"You got a point," Frank snorted. "See you then."

Stetler put his phone down and just stared at it for a minute. He hadn't been expecting a phone call so soon after taking the other man out to eat. Tripp wasn't stupid, Stetler knew that, and it was possible the other man had picked up on the interest to be more than friends that Stetler was showing. He only hoped that Tripp wasn't planning to punch him.  
***

He lost track of time, working on paperwork to make sure everything was complete and in the right place, and Stetler would never admit to anyone that he jumped when someone knocked on the door to his office. "Come in."

"Sorry I'm late, I got caught up in an interview for a case with Horatio," Frank said. He shut the door behind him and put the bags he was carrying down on the desk. "Drink's in the bag."

"You're fine, I didn't realize it was so late," Stetler said. "So, as I said, technically I should be asking you about your involvement in the case, but from what I saw, you stayed back, answered questions and helped out however you could, so I decided to go ahead and just close that file without interview. With that out of the way, what did you want to talk about?"

"Last night, and I don't know the best way to even start a conversation like this," Frank said. "I talked to Horatio today, being very careful to keep any sort of hint of who I was talking about out of the talk, and he said that it's possible I really wasn't making things up last night, but that it'd be best to talk to you about it, so here I am."

Stetler unwrapped his sandwich and leaned back in his chair to make a start on it. "I'm guessing you went to Horatio for two reasons, one because he's one of your closest friends, but also because of his relationship with Detective Mac Taylor up in New York," he said. "Don't worry about it, as long as he keeps it quiet and there's nothing inappropriate here at the department or in the lab, I don't care. It'd be rather backwards of me if I did, honestly."

"Mac's a good man," Frank said. "He's a good match for Horatio, too. We'd be lucky to get him down here one of these days, working with the lab, but don't think we could pry him out of New York. Hell, beating around the bush has never been my style. There were a couple of times it seemed like you were flirting with me last night, Stetler, and I just wanted to find out if I'm right or not."

"What's going to happen if I say yes?" Stetler asked.

"I ain't gonna hit you," Tripp replied. "I'm not that stupid. I just want to know if I should be thinking about being friends with you or being friends looking towards maybe being something more."

"You have a refreshing honesty about you, Tripp, that I think I like," Stetler said. "Yes, I was flirting last night. I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable or took you by surprise, but I wouldn't mind trying for more someday if that's what you'd want as well."

"Horatio told me that I could still figure out that I like men even as old as I am," Frank said. "I didn't think it was possible, but he also told me that it could just be you that I'm interested in, not men in general. I'm not sure how I feel about it, but so long as you don't push to move fast, maybe we could try."

Stetler smiled. "You'd be willing to work towards dating the head creep in IAB?"

"I get the feeling you put on a bit of an act when you're in the field," Frank said. "So long as you never use anything I tell you against any of my co-workers, unless I tell you that you can, then yeah, I'd be willing."

"I can promise that one. I'd like to keep work and personal separate if possible," Stetler said. "I know you trust Horatio Caine, Frank, but I can't. Not with how he works. If you feel more comfortable asking him questions though, just let me know you're going to do it?"

"Yeah, I can do that," Frank said. "So, we both work insane hours, should we try to get together every couple of days for a meal and catch up or how do you want to do this?"

"I think that's a good idea, even if we have to eat in my office," Stetler said. "It's possible this could get out, Frank. Are you prepared for the backlash should that happen?"

"Anyone has problems with me, they can talk to me," Frank said. "My personal business is none of theirs. I'll be friends with who I want, Stetler. I'll say this though, you hurt one of my friends with something I've told you, then we're going to talk."

"Fair enough," Stetler said. "Do you want me to give Horatio a chance too?"

"Just look to see what a good man he is," Tripp said. "I know he works hard to keep you at a distance, but he doesn't break laws when he's working. You don't have to track his actions so closely. Trust me to trust him?"

"Maybe."

"If that's as good as I'll get, then I'll take it," Frank said.


	5. Chapter 5

"Frank."

"Hey Horatio, what's up?"

"Mac is in town this weekend and I wondered if you'd like to join us for dinner tonight," Horatio said, looking out over the parking lot.

"Horatio, are you a mind-reader or something?" Frank asked.

"No, Frank, I'm not. I'm just very good at seeing what's in front of me and I can tell that you want to ask some questions but don't know how or even when to ask them," Horatio replied softly. "I think it'd be good for you to talk to Mac, to someone who's been in the position you're in now."

"Sounds like a good idea to me, long as Mac don't mind," Frank said.

Horatio smiled. "He doesn't, I already checked."

"Damn it, Horatio."

"Seven o'clock?"

Frank sighed and started laughing. "Yeah, I'll be there. Your place, I'm guessing. Can I bring anything?"

"Just whatever you want to drink," Horatio said. "We'll see you then, Frank."  
***

Frank was a little surprised when Mac was the one who answered the door. "Hi Frank, come on in. Horatio's on the phone, but he'll be out in a couple of minutes."

"Everything okay?" Frank asked, stepping into the house.

"Yeah, he's talking to one of my CSIs about something up in New York," Mac said. "Can I get you anything?"

"I brought some beer along with me, wasn't sure if you guys would have this brand or not," Frank said, passing the case over.

"I haven't tried this one yet," Mac smiled. "Come on back to the kitchen. We can talk while I'm finishing up dinner."

"What all did Horatio tell you?" Frank asked.

Mac grinned. "Just that you had some questions about relationships that I might be in a better place to answer," he said. "I don't mind, Frank. I'll be happy to tell you anything you want to know."

"Hell, I don't know where to begin," Frank admitted. He sat down at the breakfast bar and took the beer Mac handed him with a nod. "This guy is the probably the last person I'd expect to be interested in me, but he admitted he is and left it up to me to figure out what I wanted to do next. I've never looked twice at a guy before, unless he was a suspect and I had to ID him, but you know what I mean there."

"You were doing your job not thinking about a romantic partner," Mac said. "Frank, let me ask you something. Your friend, do you like how you feel when you're with him?"

Frank nodded. "Yeah, I do. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like I can sort of relax when he's around."

"Has Horatio ever told you about how we got together?" Mac asked. He pulled a diet coke out of the fridge and put it on the counter near Frank. "That's for H, he doesn't drink alcohol unless it's a very special occasion."

"Huh, I've never noticed that before," Frank said. "And no, he's never said anything to me 'bout how the two of you started dating."

"I'm a light sleeper," Horatio said, joining the group. "Thanks, Mac. Danny says he'll talk to you when you're home."

Mac grinned. "You just like sneaking up on people, Horatio," he said. "Frank, when Horatio came up to New York that first time, I invited him over for a drink and offered him my sofa so we could get an early start in the morning. Around one I wandered out of my bedroom because I couldn't sleep and I couldn't work out why I was so drawn to Horatio. We talked a little and I decided that I wanted to try because I couldn't imagine allowing him to just walk away from me."

Horatio put one of the serving dishes on the table and started back for a couple of smaller ones. "I've had partners of both sexes all my life, Frank," he said. "I had seen the interest at war in Mac's eyes and told him it was all up to him. Although I'll admit that I was very happy when he said yes."

"You two are perfect together," Frank said. "Anything I can do to help?"

"I think that's everything," Horatio said. "Mac?"

"Just salt and pepper and I got those," Mac said. "You can sit where you want, Frank. All the chairs have good lines of sight."

Frank snorted and moved to the chair closest to the door to the living room. "Mac, did you ever have doubts about what you wanted from Horatio? Before you went out and talked to him I mean."

"I was confused," Mac said. "Keep in mind I'm a Marine. I'd been around men all my life and I never once had anyone cause these feelings in me. My late wife had, yes, but never another man. I was trying to work things out in my mind when Horatio woke up and found me watching him."

"And you just took the leap?" Frank asked. "Weren't you scared?"

Horatio looked over. "Frank, how much do you know about terms for gay sex?" he asked in reply.

"Just what I have to for work, and even that's minimal," Frank replied. "I've probably heard more slang and derogatory terms than anything real useful."

"Probably," Mac agreed. "Horatio let me top him that night, Frank. That meant I was in a position I was at least passingly familiar with and that took away a lot of nerves. Trusting another man to penetrate you is a big step, one I took quickly because I had a feeling Horatio wouldn't hurt me more than it naturally hurts, but it's not one that every man can take from what I understand."

"What if that's what my friend wants," Frank asked.

"That's something you'll have to talk over with him," Mac said. "Frank, one thing you can do to try and see if it's something you like or not is buy a small toy, something that won't hurt you, and use it at night. Yeah, I know it's embarrassing, but it really does help."

"Frank, you can order toys online," Horatio said softly. "You wouldn't have to go to a store unless you really wanted to, and going to the store is a big step for some people."

Mac snorted fondly. "Then there's people like Horatio who are good friends with sex toy shop owners."

"You like Artie," Horatio said.

"I do, but I think he might scare Frank a little," Mac said. "Frank, I could get you a web page that I used if you'd like. There's nothing to be ashamed of, you're just learning new things."

"It just still doesn't seem real," Frank sighed. "What the hell, yeah, I'll take a look, Mac. Just not sure I'll be up for buying anything."

"Do whatever makes you comfortable, Frank," Mac said. "That's the most important thing. If you can, talk with your friend and see if he has any suggestions. It sounds like he may have had at least one same sex partner in the past. Make use of that knowledge while you're learning."

"Just, Frank, stay away from google searches," Horatio said. "You might be scarred for life if you try that without realizing what you're in for."  
***

"What do you think, H?" Mac asked later that night, when they were alone.

"I think he's thinking," Horatio replied. "I've promised to not try and learn who his friend is, but I'm keeping a close eye on Frank. I don't want to see him hurt."

"Everyone should be lucky enough to have you as a friend, you know."

Horatio smiled and kissed Mac softly. "I do what I can, Mac."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have completely butchered the cannon timeline for CSI Miami. I didn't realize it until last night, so please bear with me.

"Okay, what the hell did you say to Horatio today?" Frank demanded, shutting the door to Stetler's office behind him. "Man just lost one of his best friends, looks like hell, and I hear that you decided to try and make him feel worse?"

"Frank, I thought we agreed to keep work separate from what we're doing," Stetler said with a sigh.

"Yeah, well I have a problem keeping things separate when I find out a man I'm dating says something to one of my friends that makes him turn white," Frank said, crossing his arms over his chest. "You ever had a friend bleed out in your arms, Stetler? You ever have to live through something like that?"

Stetler sighed again and leaned back in his chair. "No, I've been fortunate to never lose someone while I've been on duty with them," he said.

"You have been lucky. I had my first partner bleed out on me while we was pinned down by a gang," Frank said. "All I could see for weeks after that was pools of blood on my hands and I had questions swirling through my mind on what I coulda done differently to keep him alive. His daughter never knew her daddy because of that night. Hell, I'm lucky his wife don't blame me for what happened and I can still see them when I have the time. I'm trying to be as much of a daddy to Cindy as I can, but it ain't easy with the hours I work. She's a good kid though."

"I didn't know that," Stetler said.

"Not many people do. I don't talk about it much," Frank said. "Horatio Caine considers every member of his team his family, Stetler. So he didn't just lose a CSI today, or a coworker. He lost one of his best friends, a man who he loved like they were blood and you said something to him today. I want to know what you said."

"Why?"

"So I can decide if it's worth continuing this or if you're just as big a jerk as you seem to be out in the field," Frank said.

"Frank, you have to understand that Tim Speedle was a danger to his fellow officers," Stetler said. "He wasn't cleaning his gun and you know what that means."

"Means he wasn't taught proper and he's scared of it," Frank replied. "You can quit trying to put this off. I could just walk right now."

"Would you really?"

"I'd thought there was a possibility here. Horatio told me to follow what my heart was saying to me and I'm willing to give it my all, but not if I find out you're trying to hurt my family over at the lab," Frank said. "You know well as I do that I'm closer to the guys at the lab than I am to lots of my fellow detectives."

"Then maybe it was wrong to try and date," Stetler said. "You can see yourself out, Tripp."

Frank stared at him for a long minute. "You're a coward, Stetler," he said. "That's all you are, and that's why you try and hurt others. Word of advice, don't come near me unless it's for a case."

Stetler winced as the door slammed shut behind Tripp. That one probably dented the wood. He'd have to check, as soon as he could make his legs work again.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for you guys, I teared up writing this. References to events in "Lost Son".

Frank really wanted nothing more than to go and check on Horatio, but he'd spoken with Calleigh and knew that Mac had flown down from New York to be with Horatio. He didn't know exactly what the relationship between Horatio and Speed was, but he'd seen men lose partners before and none of them reacted like Horatio had. Part of it was probably Stetler's fault, but Frank thought there was more to the story than he knew. With a sigh, knowing that going back to his empty apartment was the wrong thing to do, Frank went to his desk and logged into the department archives.

He didn't know what he was looking for, just that there had to be a clue somewhere that would tell him more about Speed, and what the relationship was with Horatio. Frank was never going to push, never planned to talk about what he found, but he was curious and, if he was honest with himself, needed something to do to keep himself from dwelling on what happened in Stetler's office. He'd really been enjoying the other man's company and honestly thought there was something there worth fighting for. Frank just hadn't realized that Stetler didn't feel the same.

"Frank?"

"Hey Calleigh," Frank said, leaning back in his chair. "You heading out?"

"Yeah, Eric and Alexx are coming over for dinner. Would you like to join us?" she asked.

"I got some work to catch up on that can't really wait," Frank replied. "Calleigh, thanks for calling Mac down for Horatio. I ain't never seen him like that before and I was really scared for him."

She leaned against his desk and nodded. "I think we all were," she said. "I still can't believe Speed is gone, Frank. It's like I'll look up and expect him to walk in the door and then I remember what happened and know he won't."

"You checked his gun, can I ask what you found?"

"The firing pin malfunctioned," Calleigh said. "It wasn't pristine, but it wasn't dirty. He was trying to keep it clean, and the dirt didn't have anything to do with the malfunction today. Just a fault in the gun."

"Well hell, if that ain't the stupidest thing I've heard," Frank said. "You think you could take a look at my gun in the next day or two, make sure there's nothing wrong with it?"

Calleigh smiled. "Sure. That's a good idea, I'll check everyone's so we don't go through this again. Now, you sure you don't want to join us for dinner? I don't know that any of us should be alone right now."

"Yeah, I'm sure," Frank said. "I might swing by later tonight when I'm done though, if that's okay."

"Of course it is," Calleigh said. "Don't worry about the time if you want to talk. We need to be there for each other, now more than ever."

"True enough," Frank said. "Thanks, Calleigh."

"You're part of the team, Frank. We look after each other," she said with a smile. "Call if you need to, or stop by. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night, Calleigh," Frank said. He went back to his computer and started searching for anything he could find that would help him make sense of the events of the day.  
****

He stood with Calleigh and Eric at the funeral, keeping one eye on Horatio during the service. Frank wasn't surprised that Horatio had his sunglasses firmly in place and only hoped that having Mac with him meant that the lieutenant was sleeping. Frank was good at reading between the lines and he'd been able to put the pieces together on what Speed meant to Horatio. It wasn't good that the articles and reports were so easy to find, and Frank thought that he should probably suggest to Horatio that they be removed from the database, or at least made so they didn't link back to Speed so easily, but wasn't sure how they could actually go about that. Frank had decided, when he worked out how close Horatio and Speed were, to keep the information to himself until Horatio said something to him, or to the team, and if he never did, then Frank would never say anything. 

"Frank, are you going to come to the brunch?" Calleigh asked when the graveside service was finished.

"Yeah, I'll be along in a minute," Frank replied. He lifted the rose in his hand. "Just want to put this on the grave."

Calleigh smiled sadly. "I understand. See you in a bit then."

Frank waited until everyone was gone and then went up to the headstone. He never knew what to say in situations like he was in, but felt like he had to say something. "You're gonna be missed, Speed," he said softly. "Hell, I know you didn't do this on purpose, or even on accident, and you can't go blaming yourself for leaving Horatio like this. We got him, Speed. It'll take time, but Horatio's got Mac and the rest of us watching him close right now. We're gonna make sure he ain't alone. You take care of yourself wherever it is you got to and, if you can, come back to us, Speed."

"Frank."

"I told you to stay away from me," Frank said, not turning around. "What the hell are you doing here anyway? Come to gloat at how upset Horatio and the team are?"

Stetler sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I suppose I deserve that," he said. "Frank, can we talk like adults for a minute, please? I'd like to apologize."

"Ain't me you need to apologize to," Frank said. He added the rose to the ones left by the team and turned around. "Seems to me that you need to apologize to Speedle here and then to Horatio. That is, if you can get close to him."

"He's already made it very clear that he doesn't want to talk with me," Stetler said. "I was hoping that maybe you would be willing to give me another chance."

"Another chance," Frank said. "I told you when this whole thing started that the one thing I wouldn't stand for was you bullying my team. You waited until Horatio was already hurting and you attacked him. Man does something like that, he's a coward, and I don't associate with cowards."

"Frank," Stetler said.

"Ain't happening," Frank said. "Least not until you show me you ain't the jerk I think you are. I got a dinner to go to."

Stetler watched Frank stalk off and sighed again. He looked at the headstone. "Now what do I do, Speedle?" he asked.


	8. Chapter 8

"Frank, are you okay?" Horatio asked softly from the shadows just outside the lab.

If asked later, Frank didn't jump. "Hell Horatio, what are you doing out here this time of day?" he asked, joining his friend. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that question?"

"You worked it out," Horatio said softly.

"Yeah, I found the information in the department database and it wasn't hard to read between the lines, Horatio," Frank said. "Everyone should have a friend like you around. Speedle was lucky you found him."

"We found each other," Horatio said. "I know the pain will dull, Frank, but it's hard to believe that right now, or to remember it. You have children, Frank. Can you imagine losing one of them?"

"One of my worst nightmares," Frank said. He leaned against the building and sighed. "One I think every parent has, tell you the truth, or at least good parents. I think that those reports and news articles should probably be buried, Horatio. If I was able to find them and read between the lines the IAB could do the same, and that's the last thing you need right now."

Horatio looked over at Frank. "Did Stetler do something, Frank?" he asked.

"No, why?"

"I haven't heard you say IAB in that tone before, Frank. There's a lot of underlying anger there, more than is normal for an officer," Horatio said. "Frank, you'd tell me if you were having problems with IAB, right?"

"Yeah," Frank said. "Don't know what you'd be able to do about it, but I'd want someone I trusted to talk to and you're about the only one on my list right now. Want me to take care of those reports?"

"No, I'll take care of it," Horatio said. "Thank you, Frank. I appreciate the heads-up. Now, back to my original question, are you okay?"

"Want to get some lunch?" Frank asked.

"Sure," Horatio replied. He wasn't hungry, hadn't been since before the funeral, but he could tell that Frank needed to talk and didn't want to do it near the department or lab. He could respect that.  
***

"Do you know every beach in Miami?" Frank asked, looking around. "I've never been to this one before."

"This beach, Frank, this beach is nicknamed "Horatio's beach" because I'm here so much," Horatio said. "As long as the Hummer is in the lot, no one will dare come down here. Not even gang members unless they want to talk to me about something. This is probably the safest place in Miami to talk about things you don't want anyone else to overhear."

Frank looked down at his burger and sighed. "I think I broke up with the guy I was talking to you about," he said. "Something bad happened and I found out he's a coward trying to hurt others. You know how I feel 'bout cowards, Horatio."

"I do," Horatio said. He sipped his milkshake and studied the water for a minute. "Frank, is it possible that your friend is hiding something deeper from you?" he finally asked.

"What do you mean?"

"There are times when a person will react badly to a situation, such as a death in the family, and act out," Horatio said. "Like I did when I found my father that night."

"You still didn't mean to kill him," Frank said.

"I wanted to though, for a moment," Horatio said. "For one brief moment I wanted nothing more than to beat him as badly as he had my mother and then toss him out the window of our apartment. I didn't, but I still killed him. It may have been an accident, but his death is still on my hands."

"So what you're saying is that my friend might have been shook up by what happened and he lashed out to try and cover that?" Frank asked.

Horatio nodded. "Do you think that might be possible, Frank?"

"Aw hell, I don't know, but I doubt it," Frank said. "I was honest and up front with him when we started the relationship between us that there were things I wouldn't stand for, and he agreed to those terms. I'd hoped he'd remember them, but he shredded right through the main one. I realized he's a coward trying to hurt others and that's not someone I want to to be around."

"Have you spoken to him since?" Horatio asked.

"Yeah, he tried to get me to talk about it, but I told him he has to prove he ain't a coward first," Frank sighed. "I think it's over before it really started, Horatio."

"It's only over if you let it be, Frank," Horatio said. "It's only over if you let it be."


	9. Chapter 9

The biggest problem he had, Stetler thought, was how did one prove that one wasn't a coward? He knew that wasn't the sticking point with Frank, it was how Stetler had treated Horatio when Speedle was dying, but Frank seemed to be hung up on the coward thing as well, and as long as Stetler was going to try and show that he was willing to work with Horatio, then he might as well show that he wasn't a coward. He just didn't know how to prove it. 

It wasn't hard to watch Frank while the detective was at work, and Stetler was forced to admit that he hadn't realized exactly how much time Frank spent at the lab working cases with them. He'd known that Frank was the primary detective for the lab, but was rather embarrassed to find out he hadn't realized exactly what that entailed. Stetler found a handy patch of shade to hide in just outside the CSI breakroom and counted the number of days Frank ate lunch in there. When he got to fourteen, he stopped. It was possible that Frank was eating lunch there because he was avoiding his desk and avoiding anywhere Stetler would be able to corner him to talk, but he didn't think so. None of the CSIs, not even the new transfers, seemed that surprised when Frank showed up at lunch, or as close to lunch as they ever got on their job, and joined them. That alone told Stetler that Frank was a fairly regular visitor to the lab breakroom.

"Rick."

It was all Stetler could do not to jump out of his skin when he heard the soft voice behind him. "Horatio."

"Why are you spying on my people, Rick?" Horatio asked, looking in through the window. Frank, Ryan Wolfe, Eric and Calleigh were all in the room talking and enjoying their food.

"I'm curious about how Wolfe is fitting in," Stetler replied. "How is he fitting in, Horatio?"

"He's having the same issues anyone moving to a new department would be having, Rick, but he'll be a good fit for the lab," Horatio said softly. "Now why don't you try telling me the truth?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Horatio chuckled and took off his sunglasses. "A word of advice, Rick. It's not a good idea to ever lie to me, okay?" Horatio leaned in a little and lowered his voice. "If there are problems in my lab, Rick, I will take care of them. You don't need to concern yourself with my CSIs, okay?"

"They're officers of this department, that makes them my concern, Horatio," Rick said.

"And you're so concerned for them and not the department, aren't you?" Horatio asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're repeating yourself, Rick," Horatio said. "Have a nice day."

Stetler cursed silently as Horatio, somehow, seemed to vanish away. He really wished he knew how the other man did that. He did jump when, a moment later, Frank stared down at him and then shut the blinds to the breakroom. Stetler sighed and went back to his office. He really didn't have any idea what he was supposed to do next. Maybe he could call Tripp in on a pretext and try to get him to listen to reason. It probably wouldn't work, but it was the only thing he could think of at that point. 

Anything had to be better than apologizing to Horatio Caine.


	10. Chapter 10

Frank hadn't actually thought that he would go and look at the web page Mac gave him the address to, especially after his fight with Stetler, but part of him was still very curious about what could have been between them. So he forced down the embarrassment he felt and opened the page. He stared at the items in front of him, felt the flush move up his face and into what was left of his hair and shut the window quickly. Then he bit his lip and called Horatio.  
***

"What did you want to talk about, Frank?" Horatio asked when his friend arrived, still flushed, although Horatio couldn't tell if it was embarrassment or the beginnings of a fever.

"I don't even know where the hell to start," Frank replied. "You got any beer around?"

"There's a couple in the fridge from when Mac was here last," Horatio said. "Come on, we can talk in the kitchen."

"Horatio, do you think maybe I'm being too hard on him?" Frank asked, sitting down at the breakfast bar.

"Frank, it's hard for me to know if you are or not because I don't know the circumstances behind the fight," Horatio said. He put a beer down in front of his friend and hopped up onto the counter, a diet Coke already there. "You asked me not to work out who you were seeing and I've respected that boundary. Why do you ask?"

"I guess I miss him," Frank sighed. "I went to that web page Mac was talking about at dinner and lasted about two second. I realized that I have no clue what to even do with something like that, Horatio. Hell, I don't even know if it's still worth it. Guy doesn't seem to want to prove me wrong."

Horatio leaned forward. "Frank, you told him he has to prove to you that he isn't a coward," he said. "That can be far harder than you think it is, especially if the behavior that led to the problem in the first place is something he normally does. It's possible that he's thinking about how to show you, but he doesn't know what to do next."

"Do you think I should back down a little?" Frank asked. "He did something that I find inexcusable, Horatio, and I don't want to compromise on my morals for a relationship."

"And you shouldn't have to," Horatio replied. "I'm just wondering if maybe it wouldn't be better for you to talk to him and let him know that you miss him and that you want him to try and show you that he's a good man. Just be aware that it's going to take time, Frank. This isn't an impossible task, but it's close to one and he may not be able to do it without knowing that you're waiting for him at the end."

"So what do I do in the meantime?"

"Let me get you a book," Horatio said. "Hang on a second." He hopped down on the counter and headed into the back of the house. Frank sat and looked out into the backyard. There was a new tree towards the back that hadn't been there the last time he was over. "Here you are," Horatio said, coming back into the room. "We planted the tree in memory of Speed, Frank."

"You and Mac?"

"Yeah," Horatio said. "He's starting to think about retiring and moving down here. I'm worried about him, but it's his decision to make. Now, this book will explain a few basics to you, Frank, and help you understand a little more about what you're getting into with a same sex relationship."

Frank sighed. "How do you even find something like this, Horatio?" he asked.

"Artie helped me out years ago with this particular book," Horatio replied with a smile. "So many people look surprised when I mention he's a good friend, but he didn't always run an adult store."

"He didn't?" Frank asked, flipping through the book. There were pictures and diagrams and Frank was reminded of a school textbook.

"He used to work for the fire department in New York," Horatio said. "He retired and moved down here and decided to be the man he'd been hiding for his career. I've always admired him for that."

"Wait, you're saying that your pal Artie, the guy who runs one of the most popular adult stores in Miami was a fireman?" Frank asked.

"He was. He's also one of the best friends I've made since I moved down here," Horatio said. "Read the book, Frank. Let me know if you have any questions, or if you'd like to go meet Artie. He's extremely cop friendly, for obvious reasons, and never tells anyone anything that's said in his store."

"Never?" Frank asked.

"Not if it's legal," Horatio said. "He's an informant for me, yes, but he's never once spoken about anything that's legal. People trust him for good reason. I'd also think about talking with your friend, Frank. It's possible the two of you need that chance to start working back to what you had."

Frank snorted and finished his beer. "I'll think about it," he said.


	11. Chapter 11

Frank felt a bit like a kid again, reading the book in his bedroom, hiding it away even though he never had company. It reminded him a little of hiding a couple of porn magazines from his parents. When he thought about it, years later, Frank realized that his parents probably both knew the magazines were there and chose not to mention it to him because they were harmless, just old playboys that he'd gotten from a friend. He found he liked the book, it had a friendly tone to it, not at all like he'd been expecting when he flipped through it. Frank learned more from the first few chapters of the book than he thought was possible, and thought about what he learned in his spare time. 

He'd known a few things about gay sex from working cases, but everything he'd seen at work had been violent and about control or power. Part of him had been, and was still, worried that was partly what Stetler wanted, but most of Frank's mind knew that Stetler would be gentle, knowing that Frank had never had a same sex partner before. Frank went back on the web page after a couple nights of reading and looked to see if they stocked lube. He didn't have any in the house and didn't want to be seen buying it at the store. Because of his work with the lab, Frank was pretty well known and he never knew when he was going to be recognized away from work. The web page did have lubes listed for sale and Frank spent some time reading about what they had to make sure he got one that would work for what he was thinking. He still wasn't sure about buying a toy, and the book said that fingers worked just as well as long as beginners were careful.

The one thing Frank couldn't imagine was talking to Horatio about what he should be doing. There were limits to what he was going to ask his friend about, and just the thought was enough to make Frank blush. At least he was at home when he thought of it and not at work, so he was alone with only the book for a witness. He'd just have to be careful and figure things out for himself. 

Part of Frank didn't know why he was even bothering. No other man had caught his attention like Stetler did and Frank was fairly sure that Horatio was right, that it wasn't men in general who caught his attention, but something specific to Stetler that drew him in. He was also thinking about going to talk to Stetler, give the man a hint that he wanted to find out that Stetler wasn't a coward, that he was someone Frank could be with in the end. It was possible that Horatio was right, that Stetler wouldn't make a move without Frank showing there was a reason to keep trying. He just wasn't sure what the best way to do that was. He was almost completely lost, and wasn't sure that he'd be able to get back to where he belonged without some help.

It was just a question of what form that help would take.


	12. Chapter 12

Stetler arrived at the crime scene and felt his heart skip. Frank Tripp was sitting in the back of an ambulance and had blood staining his shirt and the left leg of his pants. He took a deep breath and made his way across the scene. "Detective Tripp."

"Stetler."

"Are you all right to tell me what happened here?" Stetler asked.

Frank snorted. "We were clearing a domestic violence scene and the husband came back," he said. "Killed the officer watching the door and took shots at both Delko and me. Guy's dead, Delko's fine and I got grazed a couple of times. Hurts like hell but won't keep me down for long."

"Do you know who killed the suspect?"

"Think it was me, might have been Delko. Calleigh's got our guns, you can bother her for the specifics."

He wanted to put his hand on Frank's shoulder, make sure the other man was okay. Stetler took a deep breath. "I'll need a more complete statement from you, but it can wait," he said. "Are they taking you to the hospital or patching you up here?"

"I'm patched up already, just catching my breath," Frank said. He pushed up and looked down at Stetler. "I need to get back inside if there's nothing else."

"I'll find you later to get your statement," Stetler sighed. He watched Frank walk back towards the house and almost shook his head. He wasn't sure if he was imagining it or not, but the other man hadn't seemed nearly as hostile towards him as he had on their past interaction. Stetler wondered what had changed.  
***

"You wanted to see me?" Frank asked from the door to Stetler's office.

"Come in and sit down, Detective Tripp," Stetler replied. He pulled a notebook towards him and picked up a pen. "I need your full statement on what happened today."

"Call came in that a dad was beating up mom and I was with the patrol guys when they dispatched to it," Frank said, sitting down. "We got there, mom was dead and dad was gone. I called CPS to come and get the kids and for both CSIs and Alexx. Kids were gone from the scene, Eric and I were checking the rest of the house to make sure no one was hiding out when the dad came back and opened fire on us. Eric and I returned fire and killed the guy. I took two bullet grazes, one to the upper chest and one to the leg. Paramedics said I'll live."

Stetler sighed and looked up. "You said the suspect killed the officer watching the door?"

"Yeah, first indication we had of anything wrong was the shot that killed him," Frank said. "Nothing we could have done, even if we wasn't in the middle of a fire fight with the suspect, bullet hit him in the head."

"I spoke with Calleigh and she said that you had the kill shot," Stetler said. "Delko hit the suspect in the upper chest and neck, but you hit him in the heart."

"Can't say I'm sorry I killed him," Frank said. "Don't you start in on Delko neither. He was off to the side behind a door and didn't have a clear shot at the main body mass. He was backing me up and I was exposed."

"Alexx Woods says the shots were all good," Stetler said. "As long as all the bullets are accounted for, I won't make an issue of it. Where's Horatio? I would have thought he'd be in the middle of this."

"He's on vacation," Frank said. "We done?"

Stetler sighed again. "Yes, Detective, we're done," he said.

"Right, then I guess I can tell you that I've been talking with Horatio and he says to give you another chance," Frank said. "He still don't know who you are, otherwise he'd probably be telling me to run like hell. He says I'm being too tough on you, Stetler."

"Tripp, I want to show you I am a good person," Stetler said. "I'm just not sure how."

"Yeah, that's what Horatio said when I was talking with him. So I'm taking his advice and telling you that I miss you and I'm reading a book on same sex relationships to find out more," Frank said. "I ain't backing down on what I said. You still gotta prove to me you're not a coward who likes to pick on people when they're hurting, but I'll give you time to do that and if you want to go back to having dinners, then maybe we should talk about it."

"I'd like that a lot," Stetler said. "My heart almost stopped today when I saw you hurt and I realized that I could lose you before I can show you that I'm not a coward."

Frank stood up. "You got a second chance, Stetler," he said. "Don't blow it like you did your first because you sure as hell ain't gonna get a third."


	13. Chapter 13

The only thing Stetler was sure of was that Horatio wouldn't complain to Frank about problems with IAB. It was possible that, if Horatio did work out who Frank was interested in, he might have a few choice things to say that could well scare Frank off, but Stetler didn't think Horatio wold set out to intentionally hurt a friend's developing relationship without very good reason. Stetler did stay back, watching the newest CSI closely and noticing how much trouble Ryan Wolfe was having fitting in at the lab, and wondered if the young man might be a way to get information on the lab without anyone knowing about it.

Finding out that Mac Taylor had moved down to Miami and was going to be consulting with the department made Rick feel very jealous of what Horatio had. All Stetler wanted was to be able to date the man he was attracted to, be in a relationship for the first time in years, and he had restrictions placed on him. He'd been good, he was being careful not to show up at the lab too often, or try and get Horatio fired, even if he did keep his files up to date just in case, but he knew that he was being watched any time he was near the lab, and it wasn't by Horatio.

Frank was keeping his word. They were back to meeting once a week for dinner somewhere away from the main parts of the city when their schedules both allowed them to get away for a couple of hours. Frank kept the talk over dinner casual and always steered the conversation away from work if it even got close to a hint of cases coming in, and Stetler was trying to match action to word and respected whatever it was Frank wanted to talk about. He'd do anything if it made the other man more comfortable, although he thought Frank was trying to kill him the night that he brought up a book that he was reading. They were back at the little fish place out in the Glades, the only people out on the deck area, and Frank mentioned that he'd been trying different things to see if he'd enjoy sleeping with another man. Given how red Frank was during the conversation, Stetler didn't push, but he had a hard time shaking the image of Frank naked in his bed fingering himself. It was probably just as well he didn't have to stand up for a while and had a chance to let his body get back under control.

He knew he was pushing his luck when Ryan came to him and gave him information about Tim Speedle that Stetler had never seen before. He went to confront Horatio and was surprised at the level of anger directed at him through just Horatio's eyes. Stetler knew that it was a risk, that what he was doing could well end his relationship with Tripp forever, but he had to protect the lab, so he went back to his office and made a phone call. 

Stetler's heart skipped when he found out that Frank had been at a crime scene that exploded and the call that there were officers down didn't do anything to help him relax, until he was able to make a couple of calls and find out that Frank was fine and it was the CSI team that was missing. Stetler almost felt bad ambushing Horatio in the parking lot of the hospital, but there was legitimate concern about Speedle and the cases that he solved.

"You done?" Frank asked softly from behind Stetler, as both the agent from the DA's office and Horatio left.

"Frank."

"When are you going to learn that Horatio Caine is the best person to run the lab and take care of people?"

"He just lied to me, Frank."

"So what?"

"So what if cases weren't processed correctly?" Stetler asked, turning to look at the other man.

"Then Horatio would have already done something about it," Frank replied. "Look, Stetler, I can't force you to believe in Horatio, but you really need to take a step back and look at this blind spot you've got when it comes to him. Why the hell are you so bent on ruining Horatio's reputation and life?"

Stetler sighed. "Because he got away with murder," he admitted.

"You're talking about his dad, aren't you?" Frank asked. "That was an accident and Horatio still blames himself for it. He no more got away with murder than Speed screwed up his cases. I think you need a break to look at your life and what you want in it, Stetler."

"Maybe you're right," Stetler said. "Will you still be willing to try when I get back?"

"I ain't punched you yet," Frank said. "Now I got uniforms to question to find out how the hell they missed a bomb. You coming or not?"


	14. Chapter 14

"Frank, I haven't heard you mention your mystery man lately," Horatio said softly when the pair was standing outside the lab waiting for a witness to arrive.

"Things have been going okay," Frank replied. "He's thinking a couple of things through about his life and things he wants from it, then I think we'll be able to move forward and eventually get to where we both want to be."

Horatio smiled. "That's good, Frank," he said. "Is the book helping?"

"Damn it, Horatio, why do you always do this to me?" Frank asked.

"Just wondering," Horatio replied. "I'll take that as a yes then. You know I'm here if there's anything you want to talk about, right?"

"Course I do," Frank said. "There's our witness."

Horatio didn't call his friend on how relieved he sounded to be out of the conversation. He just followed Frank down the walk to meet up with the young woman climbing out of a taxi.  
***

"Tripp."

"It's me, I'm home," Stetler said. "Can we meet for dinner and talk?"

"I think so, you missed a busy three weeks," Frank said. "Can I let you know a little closer to six?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Stetler said. "I was wondering if, maybe, you'd like to come here for dinner?"

"Sure, why not?" Frank said. "I gotta go, I'll call you."

Stetler closed his phone and leaned back in his favorite chair with a sigh. He hadn't expected a firm yes, knowing how busy work could be, but he had been hoping for a little more happy emotions in Frank's tone when they talked. Still, he had a firm maybe and that was enough to get him up and moving. He didn't have any food in the house.  
***

When the knock came, Stetler took a deep breath and went to open the door. "Frank, come on in," he said, stepping back to let the other man into the house. "I'm really glad you could make it."

"It slowed down enough that I was able to get caught up on my paperwork," Frank said. He held out a bag. "I brought some beer."

"Perfect," Stetler said. "Come on back to the kitchen. I've almost got the steaks ready to go out on the grill and we can talk out there while they're cooking."

"Only one thing I want to know," Frank said, following along, "and that's if you did all the thinking you were going to do about your life."

Stetler bit back a sigh. He'd almost forgotten how blunt Frank could be at times. "I think I got through most of it," he said. "Frank, you know I can't back off the lab completely, any more than I can stop watching the detectives or patrol. I wouldn't be doing my job if that was the case, but I'll try to do better about Horatio Caine."

"And if you start up with the problems again, then what?" Frank asked. He took the beer Stetler held out and sat down at the table. "Horatio's probably my best friend, Stetler. I'm not going to be put in a position of having friends fighting constantly. That's not fair to anyone. I think that you need to make the first move to show him that you want to start working towards being friends."

"Frank, I don't know if I can do that," Stetler admitted. "Horatio hates me and he certainly doesn't trust me."

"You ease up on him and the lab, wait for your chance and show him that you're covering him rather than trying to play him, he'll come around," Frank said. "One thing Horatio believes in is second chances, you just gotta prove to him that you're worth it."

"What if I can't?" Stetler asked. "No, not that I don't try, but what if I do and Horatio still won't trust me? What then?"

"Then, long as you're being honest in your attempts, I'll have a talk with Horatio," Frank said. "I'll be honest, I missed you while you were gone and wanted to call you a couple of times. I ain't giving up on this yet, but you still got some work to do."

"I know," Stetler said. "Frank, how would you feel about taking a weekend and going away together? Just the two of us with no work to get in our way?"

"I'd like that," Frank said. "Don't know when I'll have a free weekend come up, but it's something you can start loosely planning if you want. I'm open to almost anything."

Stetler nodded. "Come on, these are ready to grill," he said. He picked up the plate and walked out onto the small deck behind his house. "All I can promise you is to try, Frank. Is that going to be enough?"

"Long as you really try, yeah," Frank said. "No one said things like this would be easy, Rick. We both just gotta make the effort to make it work."

"Yeah, I can do that," Stetler said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, now this links back into LE 4 where Horatio sees Rick and Frank on holiday and picks up the story from there. I think that takes us full circle on this story. Now to keep moving forward with LE 5 and future stories.


End file.
